I Don't Want Love But It's Too Late
by Estelle Stafford
Summary: Shaun tells Claire that she is not his friend, and with Shaun, just because something is fact, doesn't mean it is always what other people think it is. Just a little fluffy snippet.


Author's Note:

I just watched the good doctor on my Dvr and was struck with this future scene. This show is near and dear to my heart, because I have a sibling with autism and a nephew with autism. Also I'm working with clients at my work who are autistic, and it always brings me joy to be around such wonderful people with great personalities.

* * *

"I don't want love. But it's too late." Dr. Murphy leaned close in Claire's space, hands clasp together. She looked at him confused, no clue as to what he was talking about. It was a common occurrence and over the years when finally becoming a trauma doctor she come to accept it. Though, it still annoyed her from time to time. "My relationship with Lea was…very good." He bowed his head a bit and she gave a soft sigh.

"Do you still miss her?" She asked.

"We are friends," He said as if it explained everything, to him it does.

"I know," she smiled softly, "But you miss the relationship you had with her before." She was trying to come up with a reason why he had said those words to her.

"It would not work," He replied, rocking his body slightly as he spoke, "She said that I explain too much during sex. I like sex." Claire brown eyes got wide just a bit. She was a doctor, and she was used to Shaun's bluntness, but still. "It is the truth. I want sex."

"Well, everybody needs intimacy and sex is good." She nodded in an agreement. She had broken off her relationship with Jared just last year. It became clear that where ready to go different directions, before growing into better people because of the other, but needing something else. And he told her she could tell she was in love with someone else and always would be. She had no clue what he had been talking about. She just knew she missed having someone, she could no longer do the friends with benefits thing, and was more than ready for something permanent.

"It would not work. And that is okay. I like Lea. She is a good friend."

"So what's this about, I have surgery in like in five minutes, Shaun." She said looking at her watch, "and you have that presentation today. You aren't nervous, we went over it several times." She shook her head, mentally knocking it off the list of possibilities it could be about.

He shook his head, "I'm not nervous."

"Okay, this is not about that. This isn't about Dr. Glassman, you two have been doing well." She tried to remember not ask him questions. "Not Lea," She lightly shook her head. "You said something about not wanting to be in love." She finally concluded with, "There is a new interest."

"It's about you." He replied, coming off slightly annoyed because of the long winded list.

"Okay, you know you can tell me anything."

"Yes," he nodded, his eyes never waver from their stare. "I thought you were a good friend." She nodded patiently waiting for more.

"I'm not." She widened her round brown eyes in slight surprise. She tried not to be hurt, because with Shaun, just because he was blunt, did not mean you always had the answer, at least not without further explanation, "Go on,"

"I don't want to be in love. It's too late." He rocked back a little bit more, shifting on his feet.

"You said that."

"You are not my friend." He shook his head.

"Shaun," She tilted her head to the side, her dark curls falling in little in her eyes. Shaun pushed a couple curls away quickly and step back.

"I need to see your face. You are not a friend. You have been there. You don't understand me very well, but you do better than most. You are not my friend." He emphasized each sentence with head nod and still moving his body back and forth.

"So what I am?"

"I love you. Marry me," He held out long small black box from his white jacket. "It is not a diamond. Diamonds are bad. People have died for them. And diamonds are not very useful."

She opened it slowly, still not registering the fact that Shaun had just proposed. "It's a scalpel, a very nice, oh my God is this platinum. Shaun that took a long time to save for."

"Yes, an entire year. I did not want to get a ring. All the ads and Tv say you need an engagement present. I like my idea better." He paused.

"Shaun you and I haven't even dated." She took her chance staring at the scalpel.

, "I want a house. It has to be near the city but by itself. I found a very nice house. You will like it."

"Shaun, you are supposed to date first." She tried to again.

"We do not need to do that. I know you. You know me. If you don't want to marry me now. That will not change from today."

She thought for a second and then smiled. "As usual doctor Murphy you are right. I will marry you."

"That is good. I want two children. Not three, not one. Adoption is okay." He said.

"I can agreed to that. You have more things."

"No. You know me I know you. You will upset me, I know that. I will upset you more, but it is too late."

"Yes, because you already love me." She rubbed hand against the scalpel.

"Are wedding should be in the fall, not too hot, not too cold. Accidents and deaths are less common in the fall."

"Okay," She agreed, grinning even more now.

"I have to go now." He nodded and turn direction.

"I know that just not happen." One of her residential students stared. "Oh sorry, Dr. Browne,"

"No, I'm just as shock as you are. And yes Dr. Shaun Murphy proposed and I said yes."

"You guys weren't even dating."

"No, we weren't," She smiled and went to go put the engagement present in her office. She might have to put a couple drops of blood on it later. Shaun will notice when she doesn't use it and will not understand. But there was no way she was using a platinum scalpel for surgery.


End file.
